This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 10-168737 filed in Japan, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device capable of color display used in setting the operation mode of a copy machine and the like.
2. Description of the Background Art
As a conventional display device used in entering the operational conditions of an apparatus, a display device that can set the operational condition through the manipulation of an operator according to the instruction provided on the display screen is known. For example, in a display device used in a copy machine, the copy mode such as the copy sheet size, the copy scaling factor, the copy density and the like is set by the operator selecting an appropriate item from the menu on the display screen or entering a numeric following the instruction displayed on the screen. More specifically, a directory structure is provided with a screen directed to set the copy mode such as the copy magnification rate or the copy density and a menu screen to derive an appropriate screen related to the copy mode set screen, associated with each other according to the function. The appropriate screens are sequentially displayed at the display device according to the directory structure.
FIG. 13 shows an example of the directory structure of screens provided displayed on a conventional device. Referring to FIG. 13, the first hierarchy corresponds to the basic screen. The second hierarchy corresponds to the scaling factor set screen, density set screen, and sheet set screen. Each screen of the second hierarchy is associated with the basic screen. The third hierarchy corresponds to a memory invoke screen 200 associated with the scaling factor set screen of the second hierarchy. The solid line in FIG. 13 implies the association of the connected screens.
When the copy mode is to be set using a screen of such a directory structure, first the basic screen of the first hierarchy is displayed. The screen of the second hierarchy can be displayed by depressing a transition key corresponding to a screen of a lower hierarchy in the basic screen. By depressing the transition key displayed in the scaling factor set screen of the second hierarchy, memory invoke screen 200 of the third hierarchy is displayed. FIG. 14 represents the display of memory invoke screen 200 of the third hierarchy at the display device. Memory invoke screen 200 includes display regions 201-203 to indicate the current working hierarchy for the operator. The screen format includes a region 202 of the scaling factor set screen within basic screen region 201. The display shows memory invoke screen region 203 in scaling factor set screen region 202. By confirming that display of display region 203 is displayed, the operator is aware that the current working screen corresponds to the third hierarchy. Thus, the hierarchical structure can be represented visually by displaying display regions 201-203.
The number of items to be set at the time of manipulation increases as the function of the apparatus becomes more versatile. As a result, the number of screens to be displayed increases. There will be a greater number of hierarchies in the directory structure. Increase in the number of hierarchies renders the operation complicated. There was the case where the operator becomes confused as to what hierarchy level he/she is now working or what function of the copy mode he/she is now entering.
When the hierarchical structure is to be represented visually, a region indicating the higher hierarchy (display regions 201-202 of FIG. 14) must be provided. This induces the problem that the region to set the copy mode (display region 203 of FIG. 14) becomes smaller.
An object of the present invention is to provide a display device superior in man-machine interface, capable of easily recognizing the hierarchy or system of the displayed screen without narrowing the region for display.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a display device superior in man-machine interface, capable of easily recognizing the association of the displayed screen with another screen without narrowing the region for display.
To achieve the above objects, a display device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a display unit selectively displaying a plurality of set screens to set a condition for image formation, and a control unit displaying a predetermined set screen of the plurality of set screens in the same color or same type of color, i.e. a similar color, at the display unit.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a display device includes a display unit to selectively display a plurality of set screens to set a condition for image formation, and a first key to alter a first set screen displayed at the display unit to a second set screen. The first key corresponds to a color associated with the second set screen.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, an image formation apparatus includes a display unit to selectively display a plurality of set screens to set a condition for image formation, a control unit to display a predetermined set screen of the plurality of set screens in the same color or similar color at the display unit, and an image forming device to form an image according to a set image formation condition.
According to the present invention, a display device superior in man-machine interface that allows the hierarchy or system pertaining to the displayed screen to be easily identified without reducing the display region.
According to the present invention, a display device superior in man-machine interface and that allows the association between the displayed screen and another screen to be easily identified without reducing the display region.